A Place Called Of
by PublishOrBust
Summary: Loosing your way can be scary, but Ahote learns it can also destroy people. She journies to a scary new land, learning interacting with her enviornment could be both her lifeline and ultimate downfall.


Existence is fluid. It comes and goes, depending on your perception. You, for instance, can technically never exist, yet you stand here. You were never born, neither were your parents, yet you came to existence. You stand here, what do you want from me? I can't change the deed you have done. Past, Present, Future, Time, and Fate rest together, set in stone. It's not my fault YOU screwed it all up."

"I didn't, that's why I'm here! I didn't do anything!"

"Have you ever seen Fate angry? It's not pretty. She can be a real witch when she is set off, and set off she is. You really have her panties in a twist."

"How do **I** have **her **panties in a twist? If you ask me, she's got no business with twisted panties at all. I should be the one with twisted undergarments" Ahote barely got the last word out before a large rock fell not even two inches to the left of her.

"Hey," Time said whilst ducking and looking around for other falling rubble, "watch it! Fate can be cruel, honey. I wouldn't giver her reason."

"Why is Fate even upset with me?"

As Ahote said that sentence, the giant stone doors (which is later learned to be the doors to a place called Of) revealing a plain white, barren land.

"What… What is this place?" Ahote wondered out loud

"That, my dear girl, is Of. It is the only thing that truly exists at all. The only land, though its not really land at all. It is, and always will be. Noting can change Of. Of can never end. Of is existence." As Time said this, he shoved Ahote into Of, and shut the doors before she could even respond.

"Ah, Ahote, we have been expecting _you_." A voice called out.

"Oh, Fate, be nice to the poor girl. She has a lot to take in." a second, nicer voice called to her.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ahote asked to the barren land with strange voices

"She isn't the brightest, is she?" The first voice said, "You stupid girl, don't you have ears? You are in Of. I mean Time **just** told you that."

"Right, right. Now back to the matter at hand." A third voice said.

There was a bright flash, in which Ahote fell to her knees and shielded her face. It lasted for what seemed like hours, and then the world went dark. Ahote looked up in the darkness, dazed, slightly blinded, and confused. After a short moment, four astoundingly beautiful women appeared, each staring at her fiercely.

"Now then, can you see us?" the first beautiful woman said

"Yes… but why couldn't I see you before?" Ahote asked

"Humans ask too many questions." The last woman whined,

"Now Past, be kind to the girl." The second woman said, " Hello Ahote. I am Present. This," she said pointing to her left, "is future. This," she said pointing to her right, " is Fate, and this," she said pointing to the last woman, "is Past. We, together, are Of. Time is outside, but is not part of Of anymore. Time can be broken, but we still cannot."

"Wait, you mean you guys **are** the Past, Present, Future, and Fate? Of everything?" Ahote asked

"Yes and no." Present said, "We are Past, Present, and Future, but the way you humans look at us, is in time. We are not solely based on time. We also depend on location, population, and environmental factors. In other words, we depend on Fate here." She said, hugging Fate on the shoulders.

"Ok, that's all great, but why am I here?"

"You, Ahote, are here because you tampered with me. You, in doing that, tampered with all of us." Fate said.

"How did I do that?"

"You were on a hiking expedition recently, weren't you?" Future asked

"Yes, but why does that matter?"

"You went off your trail Ahote. You were hiking in a research facility. You trampled over the only two plants left with a nectar that could later prevent a disaster." Past said

"Wait, what?" Ahote asked, cocking her head to the side

"That nectar would heal a man whom you do not know, and never would. That man would realize something in his dreams the night after the nectar was administered. That dream would build a corporation, and that corporation would build a barrier. That barrier would block out one sick man. That barrier would save the world." Present said

"Instead of all of that, your clumsy, misguided feet stepped on the plants. That barrier was never built, and a man with a super virus entered the country. He infected most everyone, and the nation was destroyed." Fate sneered.

"Look, I'm sorry I stepped on your plant. Can't you just send me back to stop myself?" Ahote asked

"I say not!" Time yelled from outside

"What Time means ,dear, is that you can never see yourself in the past. It changes things." Future said

"Well, can't you guys save the plants?" Ahote asked

"No. We can never leave Of." Present said, sadly

"What about Time? He can! He could go, right?" Ahote said happily

"No. Time cannot enter the flow of time, it would disintegrate him, destroying the fabric of time. It simply cannot be done." Future stated, matter-of-factly.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ahote asked

"Well, that's the dilemma." Fate said," I say we throw you down there to die, but the sisters disagree."

"We," Future said while pointing at Past and Present," want **you** to fix it."

"Fix what?" Ahote asked

"The foundation of democracy." Present said," Your name, Ahote, do you know what it means?"

"No, but who cares?"

"It means restless one. And if you do not fix this, you will be restless for the duration of time."

"How," Ahote asked, nearly crying," Is a 15 year old girl going to fix this? I killed the only two plants with nectar to save the man!"

"That's the thing, we have nectar. Or rather, we can make it come to be. Our creations are deep within Of. You will have to go find it."

"Yes! I will do so immediately!" Ahote called out

"Wait Ahote!" Past warned," Of is everything that has come to be. Bad things, good things, and everything else. There are scary things in there, and there are things that come from Future times when you are not around. You must know this, and be willing to sacrifice your existence for the sake of it all."

"Wait, I could see dinosaurs and super robots at the same time?" Ahote asked

"Basically, yes" Present said with a chuckle

"We cannot enter our creations, because we cannot touch them."

"Why?" Ahote interrupted

"If we go into creation, we become creation. We were never created, we just are. You were created, and grown. You are creation and can be with creation." Fate said

"So I'm on my own?" Ahote asked, feeling herself weaken at the knees

"No, Ahote." Future said," We can send creations to help you. Not only that, but there will be creations to help you. Someitmes, in the form of other humans."

"Be weary young one," Past warned," People are not always people at all."

With that eerie message ringing in her ears, Ahote accepted this challenge and walked into creation. She had only the clothes on her back, a small bottle of water found at the gate, and determination. These three things would carry her, but creation was vast.

As Ahote entered this place, her eyes darted around quickly. She tried to make sense of what she saw, but there were so many unfamiliar and strange things surrounding her; it was easier thought of then done. There were paved paths, stone paths, and dirt paths. There were trees growing everywhere, of so many different colors. There were animals darting around, starring at Ahote strangely, many of which she didn't recognize.

After what seemed to be hours, Ahote realized she needed to start moving quickly. After all, there was that whole saving the world thing she needed to do. She looked at all the paths, but she wasn't sure wich one to follow. She pondered them for a while, when suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her foot. She looked down, only to see a small monkey looking up at her with large, brown eyes. She then looked at her foot, and there were small teeth marks engraved in her flesh.

"Hey!" Ahote yelled at the creature, "Get out of here! That hurt! Why did you bite me?"

The monkey chattered happily and scampered forward a few feet onto one of the stone paths. He stopped, sat down, and looked at Ahote with his big, brown eyes. Almost asking her to follow him.

"What? Do you want me to follow you?" Ahote asked curiously.

The monkey chattered again and went a few more feet down the path. He, once again, sat down, and looked at Ahote.

"You want me to follow you? Ahote asked. The monkey chattered happily once more. Ahote sighed out loud, and went down the path, after her new little primate friend.

The two walked down the path for a short while, Ahote gazing around at all of the strange vegitation, and the little monkey grabbing at the occasional fruit that has fallen from a near-by tree. Soon, Ahote found herself growing tired, and wanted to stop. As if the monkey sensed her weariness, he veered ofthe oath, making a beeline for a large fruit tree that offered a great deal of shade.

Ahote drank form her water bottle, and then felt selfish. She had taken the whole bottle for herself, but her little primate friend had no water for himself. As she thought this, the monkey chattered, then grabbed the bottle and ran off.

"Hey! Come back here!" Ahote yelled, but the monkey soon dissapeared into the vegetation.

Ahote was angry, tired, and now had no water to drink. She sat there eating some fruit off of the tree above her, andevetually sleep overcame her. Ahote slept for a long time, this strange exeriance had tired her. However, she began to thrash around through a nightmare and quickly woke up screaming. She had dreamed about her experiances in Of, and woke up expecting to be in her bed. Instead, she soon realized her experiances were all to real, and began to sob. She cried for a long time, but soon she heard a noise. She soon realized the noise was her little primate friend as he came out of the vegetation in front of her. He chattered happily and handed her a full bottle of water, as well as a small leather bag (which she later realized was to carry her water).

"Did you only leave to get me water?" She asked the primate

He chattered in response, and handed her the water bottle. She sipped from it, but then offered it to her primate friend. He chattered with what appeared to be gratitude, and drank from the bottle. Then, to Ahote' further amazement, he capped the bottle and put it in the bag. She gasped at the primates intelligence, then remembered something she had been told.

"We can send creations to help you. Not only that, but there will be creations to help you."

She remembered Future saying that, and then realized why the little monkey came to her. He was sent by Future to assist her, and for that she was thankful.

"Thank you, Future!" Ahote said out loud, not even sure if anyone could here her.

Then the monkey chattered, and began to walk down the path more. She, reluctantly, got up to follow.


End file.
